


All the Reasons We Shouldn't Work

by MiniRaven



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Angst with a Happy Ending, Developing Relationship, Fade to black sex, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Identity Porn, Knights - Freeform, M/M, Magic, Magical Artifacts, Mind Control, POV Steve Rogers, POV Tony Stark, Post-Relationship, Relationship Problems, magical transformation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-13
Updated: 2017-06-13
Packaged: 2018-11-13 18:16:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11190639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiniRaven/pseuds/MiniRaven
Summary: Steve is a knight of Midgard. Tony is a dragon. They should be mortal enemies. Yet despite secret identities, magic, and fighting mind controlled friend back from the dead, Steve and Tony  somehow make it work.





	All the Reasons We Shouldn't Work

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks got to Muccamuuk for the initial beta and Drink24Get for holding my hand when the going got tough. You both are amazing! 
> 
> Also thanks go to Sealcat for the amazing art. I'll link it here as soon as it's posted. 
> 
> This fic has not been checked for spelling or grammar, so sorry in advanced.

The castle was alight with joy. Rich and poor alike were singing and dancing in the streets with glee celebrating the end of the war against King Schmidt and Barron Zemo.

King Fury had ordered a large feast be prepared. Boar, goose, pheasants, and all the dressings were spread out across multiple tables in the grand hall. Coulson had even fetched barrels of well-aged wine from the cellars. Dukes and duchess, well dressed lads and ladies drank and danced to their heart’s content. Everyone was intoxicated on the atmosphere. Everyone except for Steve.

The attendance of the knights of Midgard was mandatory. After all, it was thanks to them that the war was won. But Steve was in no mood to enjoy the victory. What was the point in celebrating when their victory had come at the cost of his best friend’s life?

Golden light from candles in the ballroom danced across familiar faces, reminding Steve how alive his friends were and how dead Bucky was. For that reason, Steve choose to stand on the outside balcony, away from the drunken party. As much as Sam encouraged him to join the joyful ruckus, it didn’t feel right. All that drinking and laughing, how could they go on like this? People were dead and there was nothing anyone could do to change that.

The only place Steve felt right about his place in the world was outside. In the cold, quiet darkness with only a drawn curtain separating Steve from the party, Steve felt like he belonged. This was where he was supposed to be. Out here, alone in his empty shell of a body with only the stars and the moon as his comfort, shivering in the cold, Steve was sure this was the right way to morn.

But, not everyone must have understood Steve’s need to be alone. As the moon reached its apex in the sky, a well-dressed stranger wandered onto the balcony. He drunkenly waved off a pair of beautiful women before sashaying over to Steve’s corner of solitude.

“Hello beautiful,” the stranger purred as he leaned against the rail. His face was prince like; well-groomed goatee defining a sharp chin, windswept brown hair short in length but as light and airy as a cloud, clever eyes that sparkled in the starlight, and yet, he flopped over the railing like a lazy cat. His breath reminded Steve of the wine cellar and the slight uptick in his smile made Steve’s stomach queasy. It was as if he was subconsciously steeling himself for one of Bucky’s horrible ideas.

“What are you doing out here? The party’s inside,” slurred the stranger.

Steve shrugged, trying to ignore the drunken man. “Don’t feel much like celebrating.”

“Oh? Why not? You can tell me,” the stranger said as he clumsily tried to push himself off the railing but his grip faltered and he tripped over his feet as he began to fall. 

Steve caught the man by his slim shoulders before his beautiful face could hit the floor. “Why don’t you go back inside? I don’t want to ruin the mood.”

The stranger smirked. “There’s nothing you can say that would ruin  _ my _ mood. The wine is flowing, the music is loud, the women are beautiful and they’re practically throwing themselves at me. What could you say that could ruin  _ my _ mood?”

“My best friend died in the last battle.”

The stranger’s smile disappeared. “Oh. That is a mood killer,” the stranger said, sobering up for a moment. His lips pursed together as if he didn’t seem to know what else to say. To be fair, no one did. But to Steve’s surprise, the man patted the side of Steve’s face like he was a dog and said, “’m sorry, for what it’s worth. It’s not easy to lose a friend.”

‘You don’t know the half of it,’ thought Steve. “Look, you don’t have to stay with me out here. We’ll  have a proper funeral and mourn the dead in a few days. Go. Enjoy the celebration,” he said, helping the man to his feet.

The stranger’s brow furrowed. He looked over his shoulder to the party, and then back at Steve. Back to the party, and then back to Steve. “What about you?”

That was a question he really didn’t want to answer. Steve moved away from the stranger and toward the edge of the balcony to allow himself to breathe. “I’m going to stay out here a bit longer. Maybe I’ll head to bed soon. I just can’t bring myself to enjoy all this… this… excessiveness. People are dead and they just carry on like it’s nothing. I can’t do that. Not when Bucky… not when he’s…” Steve’s throat clenched up around the word.

“Were you close?”

The knight nodded. He tried to hold back his emotions, but it was a pointless endeavor. “I love him,” he said in a hoarse voice. He bit down on his lip and willed himself not to cry.

“Oh.” And didn’t that one word just sum up how fucked up Steve’s life was.

“Don’t tell anyone, okay?” Steve said, trying to salvage his most important secret. “Commoners aren’t supposed to know about our everyday lives. There’s not much I can do to make you keep the secret, but if this got out, it could ruin our reputation. I don’t care what happens to me, but I at least want him to be buried with his honor intact.”

The man blinked. Then, he tilted his head. “He meant that much to you?”

Relief washed over Steve. “Yeah, he really did,” he said, feeling like an invisible weight had finally been lifted off his shoulders. Tears began rolling down Steve’s cheeks. He tried to wipe them away, but suddenly he couldn’t stop crying.

“Hey,” assured the stranger. “Everything’s okay.”

“No, it’s not,” Steve said through his tears. “Bucky’s dead and I… and I …”

“Hey, shhh,” hushed the stranger as pulled Steve into a warm hug.

“Why? Why did he have to die? Why couldn’t I have been faster? I was so close and then he just slipped through my fingers and now…”

“It’s okay. It’s okay. Just let it all out.”

Steve cried for what felt like an age.  He mourned his fallen comrades. He grieved for all the innocent lives that had been lost in the war. He cried for futures lost on the battlefield. But most of all, Steve cried for Bucky and the future they would never have.

The stranger, whoever he was, stayed with Steve through the entire ordeal. He rubbed easy circles into Steve’s back and said everything would be okay. He hid Steve’s face in his chest when drunks wandered onto the balcony before quietly shooing them away. He held Steve until his tunic had been thoroughly soaked and Steve’s tears had been reduced to ugly sniffles.

“You doing okay?” asked the man. His hand had drifted up to Steve’s head so he could run gentle fingers through the knight’s hair.

“Yeah,” Steve said as he snorted back the buildup of snot in his nose. He didn’t feel great, but he felt better than before.

The stranger offered Steve his handkerchief. “Thanks.” Steve took the silk and blew into the cloth until it was soaking wet with clear nose fluid. He offered it back, but the man waved it away.

“Keep it. I think you need it more than I do.”

“You sure?”

“Positive. Besides, it suits you. Color matches your eyes.”

Steve felt the tips of his ears begin to burn. Of all times to receive a compliment. “Thank you,” he mumbled. Steve tucked it into his pocked. He’d wash it and return it later. “Sorry for ruining your evening.”

“For someone as pretty as you, it’s fine. I’m not especially good with emotions, but it looked like you needed this. “

“I think I did. Thank you,” he said. Steve was embarrassed at his vulnerability, but what the stranger said was true. Steve needed this.  His friends had said he could talk to them any time, but crying on this man’s shoulder was easier for some reason.

Maybe it was because the stranger was an outsider and held no judgement on how Steve  _ should _ or  _ should not _ act. It could also be because the man looked so sloshed that he wouldn’t remember anything that happened in the morning, so whatever happened, Steve would be off the hook. But a tiny voice in the back of Steve’s head said it was because the stranger reminded him of Bucky; lovely brown hair, mischievous eyes, red lips that would look perfect sucking Steve’s cock until he came and painted the man’s face with ropes of thick come.

No, it was most definitely that second one.

“Where are my manners?” Steve asked. He wiped the remaining trials the tears from his eyes and tried not to think about bending the stranger that looked so much like Bucky over a table. For extra security, he started edging back toward the ballroom. “You’re a guest. I should be treating you like one. Your glass is empty. Can I get you something?”

“I’m fine, but I’d appreciate a name if you can spare it,” the man said with a sly smirk.

“It’s Steve. Steve Rogers,” he said. Damn. Was he that far gone that he’d forgotten to introduce himself?

The stranger smiled. “Steve,” he whispered. He wandered back into Steve’s space and with a smile ran his long, soft fingers along the back of Steve’s rough hand leaving a trail of warm heat across Steve’s skin.  “You’re very pretty, Steve. My name’s Tony, and I’m a little drunk at the moment.”

“What does that have to do with anyth-”

All of a sudden, Tony’s wine laden lips were on Steve’s. Steve squeaked in surprise. Tony’s fingers wove into Steve’s hand, but the knight didn’t push the stranger away. A shiver ran down Steve spine. But it was one of those shivers where Steve didn’t know if it was because the man touching him wasn’t Bucky, or if he was really  _ that _ desperate for release that anyone attractive enough would do–and Tony was insanely attractive.

 

When Tony finally pulled away, Steve wasn’t sure how to breathe. Tony’s kiss was different from how he imagined Bucky’s kiss would be. There was a gentle weight to Tony’s kiss; interested in more, yet reserved. His lips were thinner, his eyelashes were longer, and his chest was warm like a furnace.

 

“Well? What do you think?” asked Tony. He looked incredibly satisfied with himself.

 

Steve wasn’t sure what to say. “I… I don’t …” Steve looked down and saw how perfectly their hands fit together. Like pieces of a puzzle. Steve was sure they would be a perfect match in bed, too. Just like how Steve thought Bucky and he would be before he-

Who was he fooling? This would never work.

Steve tried to ignore the hesitation in his heart as he withdrew his hand away from Tony’s touch. “I’m sorry,” Steve said. He tried to ignore the fact that the tips of his fingers still held onto Tony’s hand like a lifeline. “You’re very attractive, but I don’t think I’m ready to move on.”

“Not asking you to,” said Tony. Seduction rolling off like water, Tony moved his hand up Steve’s arm until a single finger grazed against Steve’s chin. “Why don’t we just keep each other company tonight? I’m not asking for forever; just one night. You’re sad, lonely, and you miss the man that you loved. Why not let me take your mind off things for a few hours? I won’t even get upset if you call out his name.”

“That’s not… I don’t think…”

Tony’s gaze softened. “Just relax,” he cooed. “Let me do all the work.”

Tony leaned forward and pressed another kiss to Steve’s lips. This time, Steve closed his eyes. Tony’s lips were so soft, so warm, so delicate, so alive. Steve’s hands grazed the sides of Tony’s waist.  He was slimmer than Bucky, a few inches shorter too. Yet, the solid heat of another under his hands made Steve want to weep.

He wrapped his arms around the stranger’s waist and pulled him close. Tony must have liked that because he hummed into the kiss, grinding his hips against Steve’s. Tony rubbed his eager cock against Steve’s leg like a horny dog.

Tony’s goatee scratched against Steve’s chin, reminding him of how good Bucky’s short stubble would have felt against Steve’s cheek. Steve squeezed his eyes shut. Without thinking twice, he forced his tongue against his partner’s lips. They parted with little effort and Steve dove in, chasing after that feeling.

Alive. His partner was alive. After cold nights plagued with nightmare of Bucky falling into the chasm, Steve had forgotten what it was like to feel someone alive in his arms. A warm body that was hard to the touch. Steve could get lost in this.

But, his partner wasn’t Bucky. Bucky was dead, and Steve was alone.

Steve gasped as he pulled away from the kiss. He covered his mouth, trying to stop the pain from coming out. Bucky’s name sat on his lips as the cold reality ate at his heart.

Tony also pulled away from Steve’s lips gasping, but it was for a different reason. Even if Steve wasn’t into it, Tony very much was. “What’s wrong?” Tony asked as he teetered back and forth.

“You’re not Bucky.” Steve’s voice sounded like gravel.

The stranger didn’t seem to mind. “Do you want to stop?”

Between desperate breaths of air, Steve looked at the man, really looked at him. Brown eyes versus memories of a vibrant blue, dark hair styled differently but soft in its own way, pouty, stubborn lips, still red and glistening from a frantic kiss. Steve traced the stranger’s face with callused fingers. Tony wasn’t Bucky. No one could ever replace Bucky. Yet the answer was on his lips before Steve could even question it.

“No.”

Tony smiled. “Then close your eyes and let me spin you a beautiful dream. Trust me to give you a night you will never forget.”

“I trust you,” whispered Steve as logic was swallowed up by a desperate kiss.

 -o-

Morning came as it always did. Birds sang as bright light filtered through the high placed windows in Steve’s room. The knight groaned as he was roused from his sleep. He flopped an arm over his eyes to block out the sun. It did little good. Steve tried to roll over on his side, but every muscle in his body ached.  His bed partner from the night before had done absolute wonders with his body.

Blindfolding him, fucking him with deep, ruthless thrusts, spreading Steve’s legs like a whore, pressing up behind Steve’s balls to hit his sweet spot, god. Steve hadn’t come that hard since before the war began. What was the stranger’s name again? Tiny? Tony? Speaking of which, where was Tony?

With eyes still closed, Steve blindly felt along the bed for the man. He fingers traced a shallow dip in the bed as well as some dried come stains on the sheets, but no Tony. The blankets were only mildly warm, meaning that it had been at least two hours since Tony had left Steve’s bed.

Steve let out a heavy sigh. Maybe it was too much to expect a one night stand to stick around until sunrise. Tony must not have felt very welcome after Steve had screamed his throat raw calling Bucky’s name.

At the very least, Steve would have liked it if Tony had stuck around until he woke up so Steve could pamper him a little. Maybe Steve could have wiped Tony down or served him a bit of breakfast. Showing the stranger a bit of hospitality was the least Steve could do to make up for his shameful display.

Oh well, He’d never see the beautiful stranger again, so what did it matter.

Just as Steve was about to turn over and attempt to get some more sleep, he heard the sound of metal on metal coming from the courtyard. It sounded violent, but it couldn’t be fighting. Everyone who had attended the party was drunk off their rocker when Steve hurried Tony up to his quarters the night before. Besides, the time between each blow was too slow and too regular.

The faintest smell of smoke and metal wafted up into his room. Smelled like the forge. When did they get a new blacksmith? Didn’t the last one die during the war?

Without making a sound, Steve slipped into a shirt and trousers he had thrown on the floor the night before. He crept down to the forge, careful to keep his steps light. When he got to the isolated building, he peaked around the corner and was surprised to see-

“Tony?”

The heavy hammer came down on the hot horseshoe one last time. “Morning beautiful,” Tony said. His eyes were big and bright like sparks fresh from the fire. “Good to know you remember my name. I was curious considering all the yelling you did last night. Your throat feeling okay?”

Steve nodded, trying to hide the blush as it crept up his neck. “About that, I wanted to apologize. It wasn’t fair of me to-”

“Hold your horses, Cap,” Tony said. He threw the hot metal into some water. “Before you go apologizing for something that’s not your fault, I should say the blame falls solely on me. I had a few too many drinks and- well, you know how it can be when people get drunk. What I did last night was not right. I took advantage of you and I’m sorry. Tasteful judgment isn’t one of my strong suits, but that’s still no excuse.”

Steve was shocked. “I could have said no. You gave me plenty of chances.”

“But you didn’t. You were in a bad situation and I overstepped my boundaries.”

“That’s not-” That wasn’t the point, was it? Tony had offered Steve comfort and Steve foolishly took it. Who would care? Not Bucky. Bucky was dead. Sure, Steve’s ego was a little wounded, yet he his heart felt a little better. But that was his own fault, wasn’t it? What about Tony? It takes two to have sex.

“Do you regret it?” Steve asked.

“Regret what?” Tony asked as he bent down to retrieve the horseshoe.

“You know, having sex.”

Tony’s hand froze over the metal. He bit his lip and said in a voice barely above a whisper, “No.”

If that was the case, “Then why are you running away?”

Tony snorted. “I’m not running away.”

“You’re working on shoes for your horse.”

“Who says they’re for Dummy? They could be for you. Speaking of which,” Tony reached behind a pile of wood and pulled out a familiar red, white, and blue shield. “This is yours, right? Looks like it needed fixing.”

Steve stared at his shield in awe as both hands clasped the circular edge. Carefully, he traced his thumb along the diameter, looking for any imperfections or chips in the edge. There were none. Steve ran his fingers over the surface looking for any bumps or grooves in the metal work. There were none.  He flipped the shield around in his hands and it spun just as beautifully as the day it was made.

His shield was just as light- if not lighter- as it was before Zemo shattered it during the last battle. No ugly patches or balance issues that were standard in metal repair. Nothing. How was this possible? It was shattered like mirror when he dropped it off in the armory the night before.

Steve looked at Tony completely speechless. “How did you- This was unfixable.”

“Well, apparently not since I fixed it,” Tony said, shoving his hands in his pockets. “It’s a patch job, but it’s better than it was before. If I had the time and resources, I’d make the color brighter and make it resistant to both magic and combat weapons, but since I didn’t have enough of either you’ll just have to do with an extra few centimeters of distance between you and whatever is hitting you. It’s a small spell, but it’s the least I can do to make up for last night.”

This was too much. Steve couldn’t accept such a gift without payment. That’s how magic worked, right? Something of equal value must be given in exchange for magic.

“Would you consider staying?” The words were out of Steve’s mouth before he even thought about the consequences. “I… um… I want to properly thank you.”

“For the shield?”

“No.”

“For the sex?"

“No,” Steve said despite feeling like his face was on fire. “I mean, yes, but it’s more than that.”

Tony shook his head. “No can do, beautiful. I don’t like staying in one place for a long time. I have a tendency to start collecting things. Could say I’m a hoarder. A wanderer can’t wander if they’re rooted to one place.”

“Oh, I see.” The disappointment in Steve’s voice betrayed the neutrality of his words. Steve didn’t want Tony to leave. Tony had been the only person to make Steve feel better after Bucky had died. And while the sex was great, wanting the man to stay longer had nothing to do with that.

As Tony put the last shoe on his horse, Steve asked in desperation, “Before you go, can you look at the damaged chainmail I left in the armory? Broke it a couple months ago. I was going to get it fix, but the last guy said it was going to take at least four days to med and we didn’t have the time. You know, fighting against Zemo’s army. Think you fix it like you did my shield?”

Tony’s brows knitted together. He looked at Steve, back at his horse, and then at the shield. Steve feared the worse, but when Tony let out a begrudging sigh, hope swelled in his chest. “Sure,” Tony said with an easy smile. “Bring it down. Let me see what I can do.”

* * *

 

Almost a year later, Tony still hadn’t left the castle. For the first couple months, he planned to leave, but there was always something Steve or one of the other knights needed. “There’s this big dent in my shield and I can’t get it out.” “Something’s wrong with my helmet. Think you could fix it and make it blue?” “The tips of my arrows are balanced wrong.” “These knives are too big for me. They’re made for men. Make something for me.” “Redwing’s harness broke.” “Could you check my numbers? Alchemy  _ is _ an exact science after all.” Not that Tony minded. He had been wandering the world alone for so long; the change was… nice.

It was nice to wake up every morning and know there would be food on the table and a roof over his head. It was nice knowing that no one was trying to kill him on a daily basis. His skills were needed almost every day. Tony was necessary and important. And after a long day, he was able to sit down, relax, and enjoy the sound of his new friends laughing over a barrel of wine as long shadows from candlelight danced across the stone walls. For the first time in a long time, there was warmth and heat and laughter in Tony’s life.

But, it wasn’t perfect.

Tony missed his old friends. He missed Pepper. He missed Rhodey. He missed feeling their heat against his side on cold nights when they would huddle together in the back of a shallow cave. Tony missed Pepper’s smile. He missed Rhodey’s whit. He missed their moonlit trips into the forest to gather food.

But they weren’t here anymore. During the last months of the war, Pepper and Rhodey had been captured by knights in black armor. Tony had tried to help them, but they told him to run. The knights were too powerful and his friends didn’t want to risk Tony getting caught and killed in order to save them. Tony had put up a fight, but they had insisted.

Leaving them to die was one of Tony’s biggest regrets.

But now, he lived in a castle surrounded by new and interesting people. Tony had food in his belly, clothes on his back, but more importantly, he had Steve Rogers in his life. Perfect, beautiful, captain of the knights of Midgard, Steve Rogers. Good god Steve was amazing. Steve was strong, brave, and took no shit from anyone, not even from King Furry. Steve was smart, had a dry sense of humor, and his smile made everything around him sparkle like fireflies. Tony thought Steve’s blond hair glimmered like gold in the sunlight and his eyes were as beautiful as sapphires. But more than physical appearances, Steve was entertaining.

After a few weeks of sleeping in a guest bed, the knights had given Tony his own room to sleep in. Tony insisted that he didn’t need it since he was leaving soon, but Steve was adamant. That night, after everyone had gone to bed, Steve knocked on Tony’s door and asked to be let in. Tony had almost said no, but when he saw the tears in Steve’s eyes and a flush cock at half mast, Tony just couldn’t say no.

Thus, Steve’s late night visits turned into a running theme over the next few months. Steve would often knock on Tony’s door at odd times in the middle of the night. Sometimes it was because he had a bad dream and just wanted another living body by his side. Sometimes he knocked on Tony’s door with a bright red hard on; looking for a warm hand or mouth to help ease the pain.

Little known secret; Tony’s door was always open for anyone, but on those nights where Steve came to Tony sweaty, panting, and begging for help, Tony made sure to take special care of his friend.

Fucking Steve was so much fun. Seeing the proud knight go from a calm and collected leader to a disheveled mess on Tony’s bed; it made Tony want to fuck Steve so hard he wouldn’t be able to walk the next day. When Steve twisted his fingers into the sheets and moaned so loud that the sound of his voice bounced off the stone walls, Tony had to bite down on the urge to mark every section of Steve’s milky white skin with hickies and claim the man as his own.

Steve was hands down the best fuck Tony had ever experienced. He was and excellent bed partner; always pliant under Tony’s fingers when Tony pushed him back into bed. Steve didn’t ask any questions as to why they only had sex at night or why Tony occasionally insisted on a blindfold. Sure, it sounded a bit crass, but both parties got something out of the messed-up relationship. Steve was able to call his dead lover’s name as loud as he wanted, and Tony was able to have great sex with no string attached.

The set up was good for the both Steve and Tony. Neither of them had anything to complain about.

So how the fuck had their relationship devolved to the point where Tony was hiding from Steve with a sorcerer and an alchemist all while teaching a little witch magic?

 -o-

“Like this?” asked Wanda. She moved her hands back and forth in a circle, lifting an apple up off the table with her chaos magic.

“Almost,” Tony said, keeping his eyes on the way Wanda’s red magic swirled around the apple. She was quite skilled for an eight year old witch, but she still had a lot to learn. “But you need to go deeper. You’re just going through the motions of moving it. Dig down and really move it.”

Wanda frowned. “I’m trying, but I can’t seem to-”

A light blue magic engulfed Wanda’s red magic. “Like this,” Tony said, as he helped Wanda move the red fruit around the laboratory. “You feel how I’m manipulating your magic to move the apple? You feel how I’m not just moving it, but everything inside the skin?”

Wanda nodded.

“That’s what you need to do every time you want to move something. Think of it this way, you’re trying to move an open box filled with books inside. Now, the books inside the box will move if you move the box, but tip it over so the opening is on the side and all of a sudden the books have fallen out on the floor.”

Wanda frowned as she tried to understand the metaphor. “I don’t get it.”

Tony sighed. “The apple is a person. You can move them around, but if your magic isn’t all encompassing, you’ll rip someone’s insides out when you try to throw them.”

“Oh, why didn’t you say so?”

Tony tried not to laugh. Kids these days. “Okay, I’m going to let go now. Ready?”

Wanda nodded. Tony release his grip on the apple and his blue magic faded away. “Now, try and put the apple on the windowsill.”

Wanda’s face steeled with determination. She flicked her hand and five apple seeds shot through the skin and out the window.

“And that’s someone’s intestines,” Tony muttered to himself as he watched the seeds land in the grass. “I think that’s enough for today, don’t you think?”

“No, I want to try again,” whined the little witch.

“We can try again tomorrow after you’ve had some rest.”

“No! I want to do it now!” she yelled. She balled her hands into fists and stomped the ground. Chaos magic rippled off her hands and into the floor. The stone floor glowed red as the room began to shake from the magic. The shelves began to quiver. Glass bottles filled with miscellaneous salves and brews began to tremble. Precariously stacked spell books jumped off the table like sailors abandoning ship.

“Wanda,” said a nervous Bruce, hidden by an army of glass tubes. “You really need to calm down now.”

The little witch glared down at Bruce, eyes crackling with magic. “NO!”

The door to Stephen Strange’s sacred room burst open. The sorcerer stomped out, red cape flowing behind him on an invisible wind. He grabbed hold of Wanda’s magic and reined it in.

“Wanda, STOP!”

Wanda flinched. The magic under her fingers crackled and dissipated. Slowly, the shaking stopped and the room returned to normal. She slumped down, ashamed of how she acted.

“Sorry,” she mumbled, head hanging low.

Tony let out a tired sigh. This was, what, the fourth time she had thrown a tantrum this month? “It’s fine. It happens. We’ll just work on control next time,” he said, picking up a pile of books that had fallen on the floor. “Why am I even teaching you? All I can do is spit fire and manipulate existing magic. Stephen’s a sorcerer. He’s powerful and can actually keep you in check. Shouldn’t you be learning from him?”

“No, I want you!” Wanda ran up to Tony and buried her face into Tony’s stomach. “I’m sorry I got mad. Please don’t stop teaching me. I promise I’ll be good. I’ll do everything you say and I won’t complain,” she begged.

With a sigh, Tony put the books down on the table and patted her back. Sure, training Wanda took Tony’s mind off his own problems, but it was a lot of work.

Out of the corner of his eye, Tony caught Bruce’s eye. “Help me,” he silently mouthed.

Bruce smiled, trying very hard not to laugh. “Sorry, you’re on your own.”

At that moment, the door to the laboratory flew open with a loud bang. A skinny, young page no older than seven burst into the room. He looked around the room furiously before his big brown eyes landed on Tony. Peter Parker pointed at the man and yelled, “Found you!” at the top of his lungs.

Another boy about a head taller and a year older ran in a few seconds after Peter. “No fair! I found him first,” said Pietro.

“Who are you looking for?” asked Tony.

“You!” the young boys yelled in unison.

“Me?” gasped Tony in fake surprise. “Whatever for?”

“Steve wants to see you.”

Oh dear. “Why? Did Scott steal Steve’s shield again?” asked Tony, trying to work free from Wanda’s grasp.

Pietro shrugged. “Don’t know. But Steve says it’s important and to tell him right away when we find you so you don’t run away.”

Tony gave them a wicked smile. “Then you better hurry on back to him before I decide to move someplace else.”

Peter’s mouth dropped open. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Race you back Peter!” Pietro said. With a twinkle in his eye, he raced out the door and into the hall.

“No fair! You’re faster than me.”

As their shouts disappeared down the hallway, Tony dusted himself off and made his way to the door. “And that’s my cue to leave. See you later kiddo.”

“Where are you going?” asked Wanda.

“Somewhere else.”

“Why?” asked Wanda with a curious tilt of her head. “Steve asked you to wait for him.”

Way to put him on the spot. “I know, but I don’t feel like talking with him.”

“Why?”

Oh boy. That a loaded question. “It’s… complicated. Adult stuff. You wouldn’t understand,” Tony said.

“Understand what? The reason you’ve been avoiding Steve for the past month?” asked Bruce as he came up behind Wanda.

Tony tried to brush it off. “It’s really not that big of a deal Bruce.”

“The captain must think it’s a big deal,” Stephen muttered as he poured the glowing green contents from a frothing vial into a wide mouth flask. “He asked how you were doing a few nights ago. Wanted advice too. Interesting that he came to me considering we’re not even friends.”

“See,” said Wanda. “Stephen thinks it’s a big deal.”

Tony let out a heavy sigh. “Kid-”

“Tony, can you double check the value of these jewels? My glasses fogged up,” Bruce suddenly said as he shoved a box filled with gold and precious jewels into Tony’s hands.

Tony tried not to look at the treasure, but it was too late. An old instinct flickered like a candle under his skin. Tony  _ had _ to know what jewels were in the box. Damn his non-human weaknesses.

Tony let out a heavy sigh. “Sure, I guess.”

As he plopped the box on an empty part of the wooden table, Bruce bent down and whispered into Wanda’s ear, “Hurry up and find Steve. I’ll stall him as long as possible.”

Wanda’s eyes lit up like the sun. She nodded her head and took off as fast as her brother.

“I heard that,” Tony said as he sorted the shiny objects into piles based on size and quantity.

“I know,” Bruce said with a satisfied smile.

“You can’t keep me here forever.”

“That’s fine. I just need to keep you here long enough for Steve to come back.”

Tony tried to be angry, but he couldn’t stay mad at Bruce for very long. “You’re a horrible friend Bruce; using my natural tendencies to your advantage.”

“But she did ask a very good question,” Stephen pointed out. “Why are you avoiding Steve?”

Tony’s hand froze over a sapphire. He took a slow, quiet breath and calmed his heart. Just because they were his friends didn’t mean they needed to know. “Do I need a reason?” he asked. His voice remained light and casual.

“Well,” said Bruce, nervously scratching the back of his neck. “Considering you’ve been spending a lot of time with him over the past year and the fact that Steve’s been going into your room every other night up until last month; one would assume-”

“Did you tell him you’re a dragon or not?”

“Stephen!”

“What?” asked Stephen, ignorant of how insensitive the question sounded. “It only makes sense. Captain Rogers and Tony engaged in a sexual relationship only for Steve to break it off when Tony wanted to go a step further by revealing he is a dragon.”

Tony covered his face with his hands. He couldn’t take this anymore. First, he got a talking to from Natasha, and now his magic friends? This had to stop. “Guys, nothing like that happened. We just stopped, okay? I broke it off. Besides, why would I tell him something like that? It’s too dangerous. Steve would kill me if he knew. He’s a human knight and I’m a dragon. Knights hunt dragons. If I told him what I really am, I’d be dead before I could summon my wings and fly away.”

“Are you sure?” asked Bruce. “That doesn’t sound like something he’d do.”

Tony snorted. “You haven’t heard the knights brag about all the dragons they’ve killed after two glasses of Asgardian ale,” he said, noting the five rubies, two sapphires, thirty-eight gold coins, and forty-seven silver pieces on a piece of paper and put the treasure back in the box.

“That’s excess testosterone and guys talking shit,” said Bruce. “It’s not an excuse, but you  _ know _ them. They’re crass and loud and not elegant in the least when it involves alcohol. But this is Steve we’re talking about. Steve’s a good person. You know that. Don’t you trust him?”

“Of course, I do Bruce. You know I do,” Tony said, frustrated that he had to defend himself. “Steve gave me a roof over my head when I had no place to go. He offered me food and casual sex with no string attached. He gave me a place to call home if I wanted; which I am not doing. I do not call this place home. This is just a temporary resting spot until I figure out what to do next.

“But more than that, I guess, Steve gave me a purpose,” Tony said, the angry fire slowly dying in his belly. “I know he purposely broke a bunch of the armor he asked me to fix, but it gave me a reason to get up in the morning. It’s not like I needed it. I’ve been along long enough to be fine on my own. But having him near after I lost Pepper and Rhodey, it helped. Steve’s done some much for me over the past year. He’s been my go to guy when I feel sad and I’ve been his. How can I not trust him?”

Bruce nodded solemnly. “But you still don’t trust him with who you really are?”

“That’s different,” said Tony. “When it comes to Steve and dragons, it gets complicated and political and … Why am I even having this conversation? It’s pointless. It’s done. We’re over. There’s no way we’re getting back together.”

Stephen hummed. “I don’t think Steve sees it that way”

“What makes you say that?” Tony asked with sudden interest.

“Well, for one thing, he’s been asking questions,” Stephen said looking as innocent as a pie thief with blueberry juice stuck all over his face. “Steve wanted information on your personal history, or as much as we knew of it. Even asked me for advice.”

“What did you tell him?” Tony demanded. Tiny flames licked the insides of Tony’s teeth.

“Tony, Steve’s our friend,” Bruce said, stepping between the dragon and the sorcerer. “You are too. But you’ve both been acting weird lately and we wanted to help.”

“By giving him advice how to court me?”

“To be fair,” droned Stephen. “I don’t think it was particularly  _ good _ advice.”

Dear eternal dragon watching over them from its dominion in the sky, why did Tony have to have such idiotic human friends. “Did you even stop to think about why I might be avoiding him?” asked Tony.

Bruce looked at Stephen for support. The sorcerer offered none. “I mean, we assumed-”

“Well you assumed wrong,” snapped Tony. “It has nothing to do with our relationship and everything to do with  _ me _ .”

“What are you talking about? Steve thinks the world of you. Would you have possibly done?” asked Bruce.

Oh shit. Tony hadn’t meant to say that.  “Nothing,” said Tony, dismission the subject just as quickly as he brought it up. “Let’s talk about something else. Like I said, all of this had nothing to do with Steve.”

“Then why are you fighting?”

Tony shrugged. “You know,” he said trying to avoid the subject. “Stuff happens and-” Tony tried to come up with an answer, but words failed him. Tony had walked himself into a corner and the only way out was to tell the truth.

“I’ve started hoarding again,” Tony admitted. “It’s been decades since my last one and I’m terrified of the damage this one might do.”

“Really. You?” asked Stephen. “The only dragon I known to have such a minimalistic lifestyle that you could pack up your entire room in less than thirty minutes.”

“Twenty minutes, but that’s not the point,” corrected Tony.

Curious as always, Bruce sat Tony down and shined a light in his eye. “I’ve never seen the beginnings of a dragon hoard. What does it look like? What does it feel like?”

“It’s mostly feelings at this point,” Tony said, trying to keep still as the alchemist studied him. “With my last one, I was a kleptomaniac. I stole a bunch of tiny gadgets and gizmos that did nothing. I even had a small pile of metal parts set to the side that were twisted into interesting shapes.

“But at the end of the day, it can vary depending on the dragon or what they’re hoarding. Dragons that hoard gold describe their instincts as a wave of intense aggression. In general, we get really defensive, bear their fangs, and breathe fire a lot. I’m like that whenever I see Steve. Not the breathing fire bit, but my stomach gets tight and it feels like my heart is about to beat out of my chest. I get light headed and it’s hard to take my eyes off of him.

“Just to clarify, I’m fine with him being with other people, or helping civilians or spending time with the other knights; which is unusual. Most dragons don’t let anyone near their hoard. But whenever he spars with the with Natasha or Clint or Sam, I get really nervous. Natasha is so fast, Clint is cunning, and Sam, well, Sam is just a force to be reckoned with. All they need is make one wrong move and it’s over.

“Whenever I catch them sparing, I just want to jump in and protect him or hide him in my room. I know he’s fully capable of taking care of himself, but I just can’t help it.”

There was also the fact that Tony had started watching Steve sleep after the winter solstice, but Bruce and Stephen didn’t need to know that. They didn’t need to know that after Steve and Tony had sex, Tony would spend hours watching a sleeping Steve’s chest go up and down in the winter moonlight. Or how he’d run his finger up and down Steve’s stomach, marveling at how soft and pale the skin felt and how strong the mussels underneath it was. Or how Tony’s heart raced when Steve opened his sleep heavy eyes at first light and whisper, “Good morning,” to Tony in a voice so low and gravely it could grind sand.

“Stuff like that,” Tony said, trying to hide how his ears burned. “And as a dragon hiding in plain sight, I can’t afford to start a hoard, least of all a human centered one. Therefore, I had to end … whatever it is we were before it got out of hand.

Stephen cleared his throat. “I may not know a lot about dragons, but I don’t think that’s hoarding.”

“Of course it is. I mean, it’s unusual for a dragon to pick a human, but if our hoards can be fluffy, woodland creatures or fish, why can’t it be humans? I’m the dragon here. I think  _ I _ would know best,” insisted Tony.

Bruce gave Stephen a look and Stephen sent it right back. “Tony,” Bruce said in a calm voice like a parent would use when talking to a child. “I don’t know how to say this, but I think you’re feeling like this because you like Steve.”

“What? That’s absurd. I don’t like Steve,” scoffed Tony. “I mean, I do. He’s a great friend and all, but not like that. He’s a human. Humans are all gangly and awkward and they smell bad if they haven’t bathed for a few days.

“I mean, Steve’s like that too. Not the ‘limbs all over the place’ part or the awkward part and the smelly part. Like if he sees me while he’s sparing, he’ll wave at me and then get his ass kicked by whoever he’s up against. Doesn’t matter what I’m doing, he’ll get distracted every single time. Scott even asked me if I could do it more often so he could win more.

“And then after practice, he’ll somehow find me. Won’t even clean himself up. He just come over with his hair flopping over his face like a wet dog and smelling just as bad.

“Don’t misunderstand, I feel nothing bad for humans. Humans are great. You guys are great. I’ve just … never been interested in a human before.”

“Are you sure?”

Tony wanted to say yes, he was quite sure, but his stomach twisted into a knot. Was he sure? Was he really sure he didn’t have feelings for Steve? Did Tony like Steve as more than a friend? Was he in love with Steve? Tony wasn’t sure.

Tony knew what love felt like. He’d felt it ages ago. Love was bright and loud filled with fire, drama, and passion. It burned with unrelenting energy until it died out, right?

With Steve, whatever Tony felt was quiet and patient. There was a twinge of sadness in Tony’s heart whenever Steve called out Bucky’s name at the beginning of their relationship, but toward the end, when Steve called out Tony’s name in that beautiful, breathy voice and begged for more, Tony’s heart sang. He came into Steve with more force than ever and tending to Steve with the utmost care when it was done.

… Was that love? Was he in love with Steve?

“I… I don’t know,” Tony said.

“Well, you better figure it out soon. Steve’s about to ask you-” Bruce shoved his elbow into Stephen’s side, shutting him up.

Well, that was ominous. “Ask me what?”

Bruce glared at Stephen. Stephen rolled his eyes and gave Bruce a look back. Tony glared at both of them as they had their little, silent conversation. Whatever it was about, it made Stephen very tight lipped. “Nothing,” he muttered, going back to potions and spell book.

Tony groaned. “Stop doing that. And stop being cryptic. Steve asks me a lot of things. Why is this one so secret?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Stephen assured Tony. “Just think about telling Steve the truth about being a dragon soon. Honesty and trust are the basic building block for a heathy-”

“Dr. Strange!” Steve burst into the room sending scattered paper up into the air once again. “Wow, look at all the time. Shouldn’t you be checking in on Clint and Sam? They’re two days overdue on their three-day mission,” he said with a nervous laugh.

Stephen frowned. “Why would I need to check in on them? They’re both adults. They can take care of themselves.”

“Fury,” Steve quickly corrected with a weak smile. “Sorry, I misheard. King Fury wanted you to check in on them. He also wants to speak with you. As in, right now. He says it’s very important. Maybe even life threatening important.”

Stephen frowned. He slowly stood up. “Well, in that case-”

“In that case we should all go,” Tony interrupted.

Steve’s gaze whipped over to Tony. “But-”

“Most likely has to do with magic, right?” he said, looking at Steve for confirmation. “I may only be able to manipulate existing magic, but if it’s life threatening everyone should help.”

Steve just started at Tony. His mouth opened and closed like a fish looking for air.

“Tony,” Bruce said, gently placing a hand on the man’s shoulder. “I think Steve means a medical energy, as in no magic. Right Steve?”

“Uh… right! Definitely medical and in no way magic related at all. You should stay here.”

“Oh,” Tony said. Disappointment settled in Tony’s stomach like a stone. “Well in that case. Let me know if you need any help.”

“Of course,” Stephen said with a polite nod.

“I… should go with him… just in case,” Bruce said, clumsily excusing himself. Bruce closed the door behind him leaving Tony and Steve in the room alone.

Awkward seconds ticked by as the two stood in total silence.

Tony cleared his throat. “Everything okay?” he asked, trying to make light conversation. “You seem a little-”

“Wanna go for a walk with me?” Steve blurted out.

Tony blinked in surprise “Sure,” said Tony slowly. A walk would be good for the both of them, but Steve’s eagerness made him uneasy.

-o-

Taking the lead, Steve took Tony out to the back gardens. Hedges, trees, and marble statues lined a stone path into the green space. The last of the spring flowers fluttered in the cooling breeze as Steve took Tony toward the tall, brick arches on the far side of the garden where the shadows ran long.

“Stop acting nervous. I’m not going to bite,” said Tony unable to ignore how Steve’s hands fidgeted behind his back. If anyone had the right to be nervous, it should be Tony.

Steve let out an anxious laugh. “Sorry. I just have a lot on my mind as of late.”

Tony nodded. “Well, I figured. Bucky’s anniversary is coming up soon.”

“Yeah,” Steve said with a heavy sigh.

“How… um… How are you doing?” asked Tony.

“I’m… okay,” Steve said with a quiet sadness in his eyes. “Some days are worse than others, but I manage. I still miss him. There are days where I get really sad and it’s hard knowing that feeling will never going away, but you being here to support me really helps. I don’t think I’d be in a position to emotionally move on if it wasn’t for you.”

“Really? I didn’t do  _ that _ much,” said Tony.

“Maybe you don’t think so, but I do. You were by my side when I needed you. You kept me afloat when it felt like everything was falling apart. Natasha, Sam, Clint, Scott, they support me, but we’ve been working together for a long time, so it’s different.

“Everyone else wanted me to get over Bucky’s death quickly and move on, which makes sense with me being the captain of the guard, but you gave me a space where I could take my time to mourn and get better. You gave me a place where it was okay to be sad and there was no pressure to move on by a certain time. I’m not sure you understand how much I needed that.”

“I think you forgot to mention how good the sex was, Captain,” Tony said with a lewd smile.

“This isn’t just about the sex, Tony. This is about you and… I know you say you’re a lone wander and you don’t like staying in one place for a long time, but look at all the good you’ve done. The knights trust you, the magic users enjoy your company, even the kids worship the very ground you walk upon.

“I know you don’t consider this your home, but I really wish you would,” said Steve as he gently brushed his fingers against the back of Tony’s hand.

Tony’s ears turned red as he blushed. The fire in his belly danced from the praise as pride warmed his chest. But, Tony couldn’t be allowed to have such happiness. “Dealing with your brand of crazy for the rest of my life? I don’t think I could, Steve,” said Tony, dismissing the offer.

“You sure?” asked Steve. He reached up and brushed a stray hair away from Tony’s face.

Tony looked up. Steve’s cheeks were pink like peach blossoms and his blue eyes shone with something Tony almost mistook for admiration. “I’d like to think you’d fit right in,” Steve whispered.

Tony’s heart began to speed up. He averted his eyes only to notice a thin line of blood blooming along the length of Steve’s tunic. “Steve, you’re bleeding.”

“I am?” Steve looked down at his arm. “Well look at that, I am. I was wondering why my arm was itchy,” he said as if it was nothing more than a scratch.

Tony closed his eyes in frustration and tried not to hit his head against the nearest wall. Stupid knights, always getting into trouble. Tony immediately pulled the fabric back and began looking for the source of the blood. “Who did it this time? Scott? Phil? No, it couldn’t be Scott. He’s too incompetent to do something like this. Phil might. He threatened to cut my heart out with a rusty knife after I put frogs into Clint’s bed”

“Actually it was Natasha,” Steve said, a deep blush creeping up his cheeks.

Tony suppressed a series of curses so bad that they would shame a sailor. “I swear that woman. If I wasn’t sure she’d kill me in my sleep-”

“Tony, it’s fine,” Steve assured him. “It’ll stop eventually.”

“But not soon enough. Look,” said Tony, digging into his pocket to pull out a roll of white cloth. “I carry clean bandages just for you.  _ Bandages _ , Steve. It’s stuff like this that keeps me up at night. Makes me wonder why I even bother sticking around when I know I’d be ten times less stressed on my own.

“Next thing you know I’ll be cutting my hair and dressing like Phil. Stick up his ass, always worried about his boyfriend. I refuse to turn into some swooning sooner who worries night and day about what stupid shit their knight gets into.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Tony saw Steve’s eyes twinkle like precious jewels. “It’s nice to know that you care,” Steve said with a light-hearted chuckle.

The heat in Tony’s chest died down to a slow burn. He dipped his head down and tried not to let his feelings show on his face. “Well, if I didn’t, who else would?” asked Tony. But he knew the answer. Bucky would. Bucky would have cared for Steve so much. He would have put up with all of Steve’s bullshit and taken care of the man like a precious jewel. Compared to that, Tony was just a sad excuse for a replacement.

“Hey, your heart is showing.” Steve brushed his fingers against the blue circle emanating from Tony’s chest. Tony took a sharp breath and tried not to move. “You’ve been showing the spell protecting your heart lately. Any reason why?”

Tony gulped. He closed his eyes and tried not to think about how his heart fluttered under Steve’s touch or how the magic in his veins purred like a cat as the knight’s warm fingers traced over the seal. “Well, you know, summer is coming and wearing four layers to cover the spell’s glow is uncomfortable.”

“Is that the only reason?” Steve asked. He took a step closer so only Tony could hear the warmth in Steve’s words. “I thought it was because I said I liked it.”

Tony snorted. “You say you like a lot of things when you’re naked on my bed,” he whispered, shying away from Steve’s gaze.

“I can’t help it. There’s a lot of things about you to like,” he murmured. Steve ran his fingers along the back of Tony’s neck, massaging the tense muscles underneath. Tony melted into the touch like butter. With a cocky smile, Steve leaned into Tony’s space; blue lidded eyes already consumed by lusty black pupils. His pale, thin lips were already parted and wet as he moved in for a kiss.

It took all of Tony’s willpower to push him away. “Stop it, Steve. We’re not like that anymore.”

“Why not?” Steve wined. He looked like a dog that had its favorite toy take away from him. “Why did you want to stop, Tony?”

“It’s… complicated. Things changed, feelings change,” Tony said. He wrestled himself out of Steve’s embrace. “I’m not even sure how I feel anymore, but I know you don’t feel the same way I do about the whole-”

Tony waved a hand in the air as if the words would magically appear.

“How do you know that?” asked Steve “You never talked to me about it.”

Tony tried very hard not to roll his eyes. “I don’t have to ask you because I know you, Steve. I’ve known you for almost a year and slept with you for most of that. I know the location of every single scar on your body and then some. I know you inside out and I know the answer to my question before I even ask it.”

“Then say it,” dared the knight. Steve gently backed Tony into a dark shadow of a stone arch. “Prove just how well you know me.

“Fine,” Tony grumbled. Not like saying anything would do any good. “Steve Rogers, I think I like you. Will you court me?”

Steve froze. Tony stared at him, fearing the worst. Then, Steve smiled. In one swift move, he leaned down and kissed Tony.

Now it was Tony’s turn to freeze in place. “What?” he asked as Steve pulled away.

“Yes, Tony. Yes, I will,” Steve said placed fervent kisses all across Tony’s brow. “Been waiting for you to ask me for months.”

“Wait, what? How?” sputtered Tony. “What about Bucky? I thought you loved Bucky.”

The kisses stopped. Steve’s face was somber as he said, “I do love Bucky. I always will. But he’s gone. He’s… not here anymore. I love him, but I have to move on. I  _ want _ to move on. And thanks to you, I think I’m finally in a place that I can. I don’t want to speak for the dead, but I think Bucky would want that too. He’d want me to be happy.”

Steve smiled as he ran gentle fingers through Tony’s hair. “I know we didn’t meet in the best of circumstances, but for what it’s worth, I’m glad we did. I’m glad I met you. I’m glad I had the chance to get to know you over the past year. I’d really like it if I could continue to get to know you.”

Tony silently stared at Steve in disbelief. “So, Stephen and Bruce weren’t joking. You actually really like me.”

Steve shook his head and smiled. “Shut up and let me kiss you.” Steve pressed another kiss to Tony’s lips and this time, Tony accepted.

He closed his eyes and allowed himself to fall pliant under Steve’s touch. Tony felt his body felt melt into a shell of its former self. His arms fell slack at his side. Steve gently pushed Tony against a stone wall and Tony allowed it.

God, he had missed this. He had missed the taste of Steve in his mouth. He had missed the large hands running up and down the flanks of his body. Tony had missed murmured words whispered in his ear. What Tony hadn’t missed; what Tony hadn’t even think was possible, was the confidence that was rolling of Steve like waves of water.

The sad, lonely man Tony had met at the party was long gone. In his arms was a confident knight, ready to sweep Tony off his feet and carry him off into the sunset where he’d make Tony an honorable husband. There was no illusion in his eyes; no sadness. His clear blue eyes look straight into Tony and saw him as a man, not as a replacement.

“Love this,” cooed Steve. “Love making you breathless.”

“What? Think I talk too much?” Tony snarked. Because that’s what Tony did. Even when something as pure, good, and wonderful as Steve fell in his lap, Tony was a pessimist.

Thankfully, Steve was an optimist. “I think you think too much. I think there’s too much doubt running around your head, so when I go like this,” Steve grabbed Tony’s balls through the loose fabric of his pants. With a smug smile, he rolled the two soft mounds around in his hand.

Tony threw his head back against the wall and tried not to scream. “Steve,” he moaned. His hands dug into the stone wall as he tried very hard not to hump the air between them.

Steve just gave Tony a proud smile. “When I do this, all those pesky doubts fall out your head and all you can think about is me.”

“Fuck,” groaned Tony.

Steve pressed loving kisses up and down Tony’s neck all the while teasing Tony’s cock with sure fingers.

“Why won’t you let me inside?” asked Steve between kisses. “You always take such good care of me, I think it’s about time I return the favor. Let me fuck you Tony. I’ve never fucked you before. I promise to be slow and gentle.”

Tony moaned. God, he wanted to. He really wanted to, but he couldn’t. Tony couldn’t say ‘yes’ knowing that whenever Steve took control, Tony’s glamor flickered out like a candle. If Steve sucked his cock, the spell over his ears faded to reveal scales. If Steve tongued Tony’s puckered hole, his horns burst through the cosmetic magic and stood on his head as tall and as stiff as his desperate cock. If Steve ever fucked him, god, it’d all be over. Tony’s wings, magically sealed into tattoos on his back, always twitched like crazy when Steve went worked on his cock and ass at the same time. Who knows what would happen if Steve ever properly fucked him.

During the winter months, Tony’s relationship with Steve had been a constant battle of enjoying the sex while not letting his dragon form slip out when he came. Steve had been fine wearing a blindfold when Tony fucked him, but would Steve still be okay with it when he turned the tables and fucked Tony?

Tony couldn’t take the chance.

“Steve, we need to stop,” Tony gasped between desperate kisses.

“I agree. We need to get you to bed. You’re wearing too much clothing,” Steve murmured.

Tony groaned. “No, listen.” He pushed back on Steve’s chest and tried to get him to focus.

All of a sudden, sound of bells and loud voices started coming from the castle. Wordless voices filled with anxious panic drifted into the garden. The chime of the copper bell quickly grew loud and louder.

“Why is the alarm going off?” asked Steve.

“They’re back. Sam and Clint are back.” Tony pushed Steve off. “We’ll come back to this later. You have to get to the courtyard now. It’s your job as captain of the guard to make sure they’re okay.”

Instead of letting go, Steve took Tony’s hand in his. “You’re their friend too. And as the person who’s courting the captain of the guard, I want you to come with me.”

Tony’s jaw dropped. “I- I-”

Steve gave Tony a reassuring smile. He squeezed Tony’s hand and, without another word, quickly let them to the courtyard.

-o-

“Why are all these people here? What’s going on?” asked Clint as he jumped off his horse.

“You’re two days late, that’s what. Where have you been? What kept you two? Don’t tell me you’ve been seeing someone on the slide, Clint,” scolded Tony as he ran up alongside Clint’s horse.

Clint snorted. “Phil would kill me if I was.”

“Sorry we’re late,” Sam apologized as he dismounted like a normal person. “But we have a very important reason. We had to verify the information before we came back to tell you the news.”

“What news?” asked Steve. 

Sam and Clint exchanged looks. “Steve,” said Sam, slowly as if talking to a child. “Bucky’s alive.”

Tony froze. His heart stopped. Time seemed to slow down and continue without him, as frantic voices dimmed into white noise.

Tony’s worst nightmare had come true, Bucky Barnes was alive. The original was back to replace the subpar sequel.

Tony knew what happened next. It didn’t take much imagination to figure it out. Steve would quietly dump Tony and then ride off into the sun on an epic journey to bring back Bucky Barnes. He’d come back weeks later, beaten and bruised, with Bucky in his arms. Steve would walk through the gates holding the unconscious man bridal style and then place him gently on a soft cot. Then, he’d stay by Bucky’s side for weeks on end, tending to his lover. The first one. The only one that mattered. Tony would be thrown away and forgotten without a second thought. Who was Tony? Steve didn’t know a Tony. The only one that mattered to Steve was Bucky. He had always had eyes for Bucky.

Without a word, Tony slipped out of the courtyard and began making his way to his room. Correction; former room. Tony always bragged he could pack up and leave in less than twenty minutes. Now was the time to prove it.

He was almost at his quarters when he bumped into someone.

“Tony, what’s wrong?” asked Wanda.

“Nothing’s wrong sweetie,” Tony said, trying to keep his voice steady.

Wanda’s mouth twisted into an unhappy frown. “You’re lying. Something is wrong. I can feel it!”

“I told you, everything is fine. Go find Peter and Pietro.”

“Is it something I did? I promised I’ll never do it again,” pleaded Wanda.

Tony opened the door to his guest quarters. “Good bye, Wanda. Tell Bruce and Stephen they can have anything I leave behind.”

“Tony!”

Tony closed the door on the screaming child and tried to block off the noise. He covered the blue spell over his heart with his hand. He had to stay strong just for a little longer. It would all be over soon.

* * *

 

Steve could hardly believe it. Bucky was alive? That was impossible. He had seen Bucky fall into the demon realm after Schmidt had lost control of his summoning circle.

“What do you mean he’s alive? I saw Bucky die with my own two eyes.”

“I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s true. I saw him myself,” said Clint.

“When?” demanded Steve.

“About a day into the mission,” said Sam. “We were head to Balmoral when we saw a village getting attacked by dragons. We went over to protect them and guess who we saw running out of a burning building?”

Steve didn’t have to guess. He knew. “Bucky.”

“Yup,” Clint said with a nod. “Except he wasn’t running to us for help, he was running away from us. He had his arms filled with steel, gold, and food. Lots of food.”

“We tried talking to him, but he didn’t seem to recognize us. Beat us up when we got to close and well, here we are. No Bucky,” said Sam.

“But you still went after him, right?”

“Course we did,” Clint scoffed. “But dragons are fast. He hopped on the back of one after he kicked our asses and few off before Redwing could catch up.”

“Which way?” asked Steve, sending a servant to get a map. “Which way did he go?”

“North. Out of Midgardian territory and toward the mountains of Jotunheim,” said Sam.

Steve’s stomach dropped. “Frost giant territory.”

“But not north enough to be in Frost giant territory,” said Clint with a twinkle in his eye. “See, we stopped by a few other villages on the way to Balmoral. Apparently, our former comrade has been raiding other villages up and down the mountainside since winter hit. Sometimes he’s alone, but sometimes he’s with a dragon or two.”

“That doesn’t make sense,” said Steve. “If he’s been doing this since winter, why are we only hearing about it now?”

“Pride,” Sam said. “A couple of the villages sent some of their own people to take care of the problem themselves. Only a few survived and they decided to hide it instead of telling us that they did something stupid.”

“The last party that went said Bucky was here,” said Clint, pointing at the lower mountains leading up to Jotunheim. “Twenty men went into the cave and two scouts camped outside by the river. They didn’t see anyone come in, but the one guy on their side that came out alive was an incoherent, drooling mess. We tried to talk to him, but he still hasn’t recovered. Can’t remember his own name let alone what happened in that cave.”

“And that’s all the intel you’ve got?”

Sam shrugged. “Better than nothing. We’ve got a location. We know he’s there. We know he’s got dragons. We just don’t know who or what else is inside there.”

“And you verified the information?”

“Why do you think it took so long for us to get back?” asked Clint.

“Okay,” Steve said under his breath. He could work with this. As long as Bucky was alive, Steve would do everything he could to get him back.

“What do you say, Cap? Are we going after him now or later?”

“Now,” said Steve, his voice steeled with determination. “Can you guys ride some more?”

“Sure. Just need some fresh horses and supplies,” said Clint.

“Get them. I’ll find Natasha.”

“Right here,” the knight said coming up behind him.

Steve almost jumped. Damn that woman was sneaky. “Thank goodness you’re here Natasha. It’s Bucky he’s-”

Natasha cut him off with the wave of her hand. “No need to summarize. I heard everything. I’ll start making preparations, but you have bigger things to take care of.”

“What’s more important that getting Bucky back?” asked Steve.

“Tony’s leaving.”

Steve stilled. No. Not now. Why was Tony leaving now? Tony had frequently talked about moving on, but why had he chosen now to actually act on it? The timing couldn’t be any worse.

“I told you to be careful when courting him. Tony spooks easily,” said Natasha

“I’m sorry,” Wanda sobbed coming up behind Natasha. “It’s all my fault. I got angry and I did something bad with my magic and I-”

“No, little one. It’s not your fault,” said Natasha, bending down to try and calm the crying child.

“Yes, it is,” Wanda said as tears streamed down her face. “I should have better control of my magic, but I don’t.”

“It’s okay little one. These things take time.”

“But I don’t have time,” Wanda gasped between rushed breaths. “Tony’s going away and it’s all my fault and… and…” Words devolved into incoherent noises and she buried her head in Natasha’s shoulder.

Natasha awkwardly took the child in her arms. She gently patted Wanda’s back to reassure the child, then looked up at Steve. “Go find him. I’ll talk to Maria Hill and get things ready for you.”

Steve let out a tense breath. “Thanks Natasha. You’re a lifesaver.”

Steve took off like a mad dog straight toward Tony’s room. He knew people were staring at him, but Steve didn’t care. He couldn’t let Tony leave, not now. It had taken months to work through the grief of losing Bucky, and Steve refused to do it again if Tony left.

Life was finally getting better. Steve was at peace with his grief and was moving on with his life. He had just confessed to an amazing man who managed to take Steve’s breath away anytime he spoke. His best friend was alive and well and Steve was about to go after him with his best friends. Steve’s life was going so well. He refused to let Tony go without a fight.

Allowing the man he loved to leave was not an option.

As he ran up the stairs two steps at a time, Steve thought about how he should approach the issue. Should he play coy? Should he be direct? But once he saw Tony slouched over a small bag of personal items, all of Steve’s plans few out the window.

“Don’t go,” he said.

Tony almost jumped out of his skin. “Steve! What the hell! What are you doing here?” he asked, shoving a tunic into his bag.

“Wanda said you were going to leave,” said Steve as he walked into the room. “Looks like I was just in time.”

“Damn kids,” Tony chuckled, but the always present twinkle of light in his eyes was gone. “No, I wasn’t going to leave. I just… needed some time alone. Don’t worry about me. Go. I’m sure they need you downstairs to help plan Bucky’s escape.

Steve crossed his arms over his chest. “I think I’m needed here more at the moment.”

“You’re really not,” said Tony.

“I think I am.”

Tony let out a weary sigh. “What do you want, Steve?”

“What do I want? What do  _ you _ want? What  _ I _ want is for you to talk to me. I just got you back. I’m not going to ignore whatever this thing is so you can run away again.”

“There’s nothing to talk about, okay?” snapped Tony. “You guys are going to ride off, fight the metaphorical dragon, and save Bucky like the knight in shining armor that you are. Whatever I feel doesn’t matter.”

“It does to me.”

Tony groaned. “For once in your life can you not be so damn nice? There’s no point in arguing with you, Steve. In the end, you’re going to leave me for him. He came first, and now that he’s back you can finally tell him how you feel.”

Steve stood, speechless. “Is that what you think is going to happen? Is that how you feel?”

Tony bit his lip. Steve could see the brilliant gears of Tony’s mind whirring as he tried to think of excuses. “Can we just pretend I never said that?”

“No,” said Steve, walking up to Tony’s bedside. “No, we can’t. Love doesn’t work like that. Just because Bucky’s alive doesn’t mean I stopped loving you. That’s not how this works.”

“Then tell me how this works, Steve. Tell me how you can love a stand in when the original is by your side, alive and well.”

“This is how.” Without a second thought, Steve walked up next to Tony, bent down, and kissed him. He pressed every emotion he could muster into the touch; hope, confusion, desperation, loss, and every ounce of love he felt for Tony.

Tony tried to object, but Steve stole the words from his lips before they left his mouth. He tried to push Steve away, but eventually he caved. Tony’s lips fell slack under Steve’s touch. His mouth opened and welcomed Steve in with dark desperation. Tony’s fingers trailed up Steve’s sides knotted themselves in Steve’s blond hair like a man desperate for water.

Tony kissed as if he was a dying man and Steve was the water of life. Steve had never felt such sadness and desperation on Tony’s lips. As he pulled away, Steve swore he would never make Tony feel like that again.

“I won’t pretend that this is easy because I know it’s not. “Steve said between ragged breaths.  “I don’t know what’s going to happen and if I’m being honest, I’m terrified too. I don’t want to miss this opportunity and lose Bucky again, but I don’t want to come back to find you’ve gone.”

“Steve, I… I don’t know what to say.”

“Don’t say anything,” he whispered, placing his hand on Tony’s cheek. Steve ran his thumb over Tony’s cheek bones when an idea struck him. “Why don’t you come with us. We can rescue Bucky together. It’ll give us time to figure out something along the way.”

“I… don’t know Steve,” Tony said, averting his eyes.

“Please?”

Tony was silent for a minute, then he let out a reluctant sigh. “Promise you won’t abandon me in the forest?”

Steve smiled. He pressed an eager kiss to Tony’s forehead and whispered, “I promise.”

-o-

True to his boasting, Tony packed quickly. They made a brief stop by Steve’s room to pick up a change of clothes, and then made their way back to the stable where the other knights were getting ready.

“You guys okay to leave?” asked Steve.

“Just about,” said Sam as he finished securing fresh supplies to a new horse.

Clint offered a wave as he continued to check the balance of his arrows. “Hey Tony, come to see us off?”

“Actually, he’s coming with us,” said Steve.

Sam’s hands stopped moving. Clint’s jaw dropped in disbelief. Natasha continued on with her work, but now there was a light bounce in her step.

Sam was the first to speak. He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, say that again? I think I heard you say  _ he’s _ coming with  _ us _ on a dangerous mission.”

“You heard the Captain correctly. Tony’s coming along for the ride,” said Natasha as she hopped on her horse.

Clint looked as if he was about to lose his mind. “You’re bringing a civilian on a dragon hunt? Be reasonable Cap.”

“Wait, a dragon hunt? Nobody said anything about hunting dragons,” said Tony.

“Oh great,” Clint groaned. “Can we  _ not _ have this argument again? We all know you don’t like us killing dragons, Tony. But there’s no other option. They destroy our lands and eat our livestock. The only way to get rid of them is to end them before they can do any more damage.”

“There’s always another way,” insisted Tony. “Dragons are smart. They can be reasoned with.”

“Yeah? Tell that to the villagers who keep complaining about dragons eating the sheep that feed their families and then we’ll talk.”

“That’s enough Clint,” said Steve. “Go check on my armor. I haven’t had a chance to look at it.”

Clint groaned. He muttered swear words under his breath, but he put his arrows away did as he was told.

Steve let out a quiet sigh of relief and then turned his attention to Tony. “Sorry you had to hear that,” said Steve, trying to repair the damage Clint had done.

Tony crossed over his chest. “It’s fine.  Not like I can change what you think about dragons.”

“That’s not… You shouldn’t…” Damn, why did Clint have to open his big mouth? “Look, I know you don’t like us killing dragons. They mean a lot to you and I understand that.”

Tony shrugged.

“How about this,” Steve said, taking Tony’s hands in his, “I promise you will do everything I can to ensure their survival. But understand that we might not have a choice. Bucky was seen with two very strong and very powerful dragons. I know you don’t like thinking about it, but if push comes to shove we might have to-”

“What do you mean Bucky was seen with two dragons?” Tony asked. “Aren’t you guys always saying how dragons travel alone?”

The question caught Steve off guard. “I mean… yes, but-”

“This was different,” Sam said. “It was like they had some kind of plan in place. The dragons acted as a distraction so Bucky could raid the village, and then when it was all done, Bucky go on their back and they flew away.”

Tony’s face turned a sickly pale white. “What color were they?”

“I’m sorry?”

“What color were they? Were they black and gold? Blue? How about horn count? How many horns or spikes were on their head?”

“Don’t know. Didn’t care,” said Clint, returning with Steve’s armor. “Didn’t have time to count while we were fighting for our lives.”

Tony glared at the archer. “The coloring alone can tell us important things like its age, its type, its weaknesses and strengths. For as good as your eyes are, you really should care.”

“One was silver and red. The other was grey,” Sam said. “The silver one was small and fast; hard to hit. The grey one was bigger and slower, but its scales were so thick that nothing we threw at it did any damage.”

“Why are you asking?”

Tony stilled. “No reason,” he said. He got on his horse and looked straight ahead. “Anyway, I can handle it on my own. Let’s get going guys!”

With a dismissive murmur, the knights started getting into place. But Steve wasn’t ready to let it go. He walked up alongside Dummy and gently pat Tony’s leg. “What?” asked Tony, looking down.

“On missions, we don’t handle things on our own. If we do, people get killed.”

Tony rolled his eyes. “Relax Steve, it’s not that big a deal.”

“Have you forgotten that I’m the captain of the guard and all these people are my responsibility? What happens if you or one of the other knights get hurt and I find out later it was completely preventable?”

Tony didn’t say anything, but he did bite his lip and began to fidget in his seat.

“Tell me and let me judge if it’s important or not.”

Tony closed his eyes as he though. Finally, he said, “Dragons don’t let humans ride on their backs unless there’s a very good reason. They consider carrying humans disgraceful. They’re dragons, not horses.”

“So if a dragon is willingly carrying Bucky, something not right,” said Steve, his brain already working on what this new information could mean.

The caravan of horses began to move. “When we find the dragons, promise you’ll let me take the lead. I know more about dragons than all of you put together,” insisted Tony.

“That’s not how things work-”

“Let’s go, Steve!” Natasha called from the front. “We’re losing daylight.”

“Just a second.” Steve turned around and gave Tony one last pointed look. “We’re not finished with this conversation.”

Steve, Tony, and the knights rode for two days straight only stopping to sleep and give their horses a break. Steve tried to talk to Tony multiple times, but Tony refused to give an answer beyond a non-committal shrug or hum of indifference.

On the afternoon of the third day, they reached their destination.

The afternoon sun blazed down from above as Steve, Tony, and Clint slowed their horses to a halt on a hill overlooking a large river. Along the stream was a cave about twenty meters tall, just big enough for a large dragon to fly into. The mouth of the cave was smooth, well worn by the weather. Small pebbles spilled out the entrance making a defined path to the river bed. Tiny bits of wild plant life sprung up between the rocks.

“What do you think?” asked Steve. “Think the villagers were right? Think Bucky or the dragons are here?”

“Maybe. Can’t guarantee it’s a dragon, but something’s in there,” Tony said as he dismounted his horse. “The cave looks dragon made, but for all we know, the villagers could have lied to us. It could be abandoned. We could find a bear, bandits, maybe there’s dragon inside, but from here, I can’t make any promises.”

Clint squinted up at the cave. “How are you so sure about that? I don’t see any scratch marks or blood or damsels in distress.”

Tony groaned. “Not all dragons act the same, Barton. Only the aggressive or very old dragons living off their hoarding instincts would live like that. I don’t know if you’re little bird brain can comprehend this, but for the most part, dragons are very peaceful, quiet beings. They’re solitary creatures. They don’t burn fields or steal gold whenever the mood strikes. It’s counterproductive. Dragons rarely leave visible marks their territory because they want to be left alone.”

“Spoken like a true civilian,” Clint scoffed. “Have you seen a dragon recently? Have you seen the burnt fields this last one left all over the East side? You have no idea the amount of damage a dragon can do.”

“Now’s not the time to be smart, Clint,” said Steve, trying to maintain control of the conversation.

“Don’t you get me started, Barton,” Tony snapped. “Dragons may be dangerous, but you shouldn’t go around killing them whenever you feel like it. I saved your life with dragon tears. I used powdered dragon scale to stop the poison from killing Phil. Those supplies can only be harvested from a living dragon.”

Clint rolled his eyes. “I’m not saying they don’t have their uses. I’m just saying dragons are fucking assholes.”

Steve could see the anger building up in Tony’s face. “You take that back.”

The archer jumped off his mount and squared off against Tony. “Make me.”

“Gentlemen, that’s enough!” Steve yelled. He moved his horse between the two men and glared down. “Do I need I remind you that our mission is to retrieve Bucky? Killing each other won’t solve our problems.”

“He started it!” they said in close unison.

Steve groaned. At that moment, Redwing flew overhead as a familiar knight trotted up the path. Relief washed over Steve as both Sam and Natasha made their way up the hill. “What did you see? Anything useful for our quest?”

“A few things here and there, but nothing sufficient,” Sam admitted. “Couple of broken tree branches, recently turned over rocks, residual heat in unnatural places; looks like something or someone big lives here but we have no solid proof as to what.”

“Then let’s hope we find what we’re looking for,” Steve said as he dismounted. “Let’s take a break here. We’ll regroup, come up with a plan, and then go from there.”

The other knights nodded with approval. As they began to dismount and make themselves comfortable, Tony gently tapped Steve on the shoulder.

“Hey, I’m going to take care of the horses. Be back in a few minutes.”

“You sure?” asked Steve. “I’m sure the others won’t mind if you feed them here.”

Tony smiled. “I’m sure. Need an excuse to get some distance from bird brain over there.”

“Okay. If you insist,” Steve said. He wanted to keep Tony close, but Steve had other things to worry about. He was captain of the Midgard knights before he was Tony’s boyfriend.

As Tony walked away, Steve pushed away his anxieties and tried to focus on the mission. Steve knelt down and began drawing a crude map in the ground so the knights could discuss strategy.

He waited for the others to join in, but they never did. Steve looked up and saw three sets of judging eyes staring down at him. “What?” he asked.

“You want to check on him,” Natasha said.

So much for hiding his feelings. “Of course I do. Tony hasn’t talked much in the past two days. I’m worried about Bucky, but I’m starting to worry about Tony too.”

“Go,” urged Sam. “Get your affairs in order. We’re all adults here. We can do a bit of planning on our own.”

Steve let out a sigh of relief. “Thanks,” he said, standing up and dusting his pants off. “I’m counting on you.”

It only took Steve a few minutes to find Tony. The horse tracks were easy to follow and the sounds of eating could be heard from over a mile away. The horse stood around in a small clearing, loudly munching away on grass and feed in their own little world.

Tony was in his own little world too. His eyes were keenly focus was on the mouth of the dragon’s cave. Tony’s brown was furrowed and his lips were turned down into a hard-set frown. Even from far away, Steve could see the gears in Tony’s head turning like mad. Something was up, and Steve was determined to find out what it was.

“Everything alright?” Steve asked, walking over to Tony’s side. “You seem distracted.”

Tony hummed, his eyes never wavering. “Have you ever seen where a dragon makes its home?”

“No. Not really,” Steve replied. “Thor has his stories about charging straight into a cave and saving a damsel in distress, but us, we’ve only fought dragons in the wild when they’re actively endangering people’s lives. Why do you ask?”

“That,” Tony said, pointing to the opening. “All of this is wrong.”

“As in we have the wrong cave?”

“No,” Tony said ominously. “Somethings up with the dragons who made that cave.”

Steve looked at the cave. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. “How do you know?”

“Lots of things,” said Tony. “For one, the plant life isn’t random. There wear and tear along the middle of the path, but the plants on the edge are largely untouched. And why does the rock path only go so far? Why are there a ton of small stones near the entrance of the cave, but when it moves back into the wooded area, they disappear? The distance from the river is the same, so the path should be the same, right? Why is it not the same?

“Not to mention the cave is too low for a dragon to live in. A bear might live there, but no dragon is dumb enough to make its home by a river. Grey dragons make their homes in the middle of mountains and small silver dragons roost in deep rock quarries. The only dragon that makes its home near a river is a blue river dragon, and they live  _ in _ the river.

“And yet the stress lines along the sides of the cave are very clear. A dragon intentionally melted the rock to make this cave close to the ground. But why? Making a home along a river makes no sense. It’s too easy for a predator to come in and kill them in their sleep. Not to mention the sound of water drowns out any noise a predator might make. Dragons have good hearing, but it’s not good enough to detect noises over the sound of running water.”

Steve nodded. Tony was saying a lot, but everything he said made a lot of sense. But, that just brought up another question. “How do you know all this?” asked Steve.

Tony’s thought immediately screeched to a halt. “You… um… you pick up… a lot of things going from place to place,” Tony said, stumbling over his words.

Steve frowned. “You’re lying. No one picks up  _ that _ level of detailed information just by listing in on a conversation.”

“Really? How else would I know this stuff?” asked Tony.

“I don’t know. I just have a gut feeling that you’re trying to hide something.”

“What? What am I trying to hide?” Tony asked with a goofy smile.

Steve shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe it has to do with the bumps on your head.”

The humor in Tony’s eyes disappeared. “What bumps?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

“These bumps,” said Steve. He slowly reached over and ran his hands through Tony’s hair. The pads of his fingers brushed over a tiny, hard nub about the size of a small coin. The hairless bumps grew under the warmth of Steve’s fingers, as if they were leaning into his touch.

“I don’t know why, but they get bigger when we have sex. I’ve tried to figure out what they were, but you always move my hands somewhere else before I figure it out.”

“They’re nothing, Steve. Just a birth defect,” Tony said, pulling Steve’s hands off his head.

“You sure? Because sometimes when I do this,” Steve leaned over and gently nibbled on Tony’s earlobe. Tony gasped and the soft flesh turned taught in Steve’s teeth. “Sometimes it feels like flesh and other times if feels hard and scaly.”

“Must be your imagination,” Tony insisted. He put his hands on Steve’s chest and gently tried to push the knight away.

But Steve wasn’t having it. Steve took Tony’s hands in his and held them close to his heart. “Tony, you know whatever it is, you can tell me. I won’t get upset.”

Tony snorted. “Well, you certainly won’t be happy knowing the truth,” he said, unwilling to meet Steve’s eyes.

So, Tony was hiding something.

“I promise I won’t get mad?”

Tony was quiet as he considered Steve’s offer. “Promise you won’t kill me and then I’ll think about it.”

The request caught Steve off guard. “What? Why would I-”

“Steve!” Natasha hissed from behind Dummy. “We got movement.”

-o-

“Any sign of them?”

“Natasha things so, but I haven’t seen anything. Thought of sending Redwing in, but Wilson won’t let me,” Clint said, glaring at Sam.

Sam snorted back a laugh. “Get a bird of your own and then we’ll see how you feel about sending him into uncharted enemy territory.”

“Quiet,” hissed Natasha. “Over there. They’re coming out”

Out of the shadows of the cave, Baron Zemo sauntered out of with an entourage of men clad in black armor. The baron shook hands with someone in a long, very important looking robe. A satisfied smile was stretched across the baron’s face. Another man in long robes waved his hands to reveal horses standing along the river bank.

“Shit, wizards. Why didn’t anyone check for magic users?” hissed Clint.

“Because none of us  _ are _ magic users,” whispered Sam. “We came prepared to fight dragons, not mages.”

“If you guys don’t stop using those words interchangeably, I’m going to come over there and smack you.”

“Shut up. They’re leaving,” Natasha snapped.

Zemo and most of the men in his company hopped on their horses and rode off along the stone path. Three men stayed behind and walked back into the cave.

“At least now we know how they hid their tracks,” Tony muttered under his breath.

“Okay team, let’s move in,” said Steve, getting organized.  “We don’t have much time for a plan, so I’m in front. Clint, I want you to bring up the rear. We need everyone’s help, so that means no lookouts. Clint, you’re our only warning if Zemo or anyone else comes back.”

“What about me?” asked Tony.

“Stay in the middle. We don’t know what’s going to be in there, so I don’t want anyone splitting up for the good of the team. Our first priority is getting Bucky back. We go in and get out as fast as we can. If we’re lucky, we won’t have to fight any dragons.

“Everybody understand their orders?”

“Yes sir,” the knights said.

“Good. Then let’s get him.”

-o-

They walked into the cave single file, Steve in the front and Clint in the back. Steve’s back hugged the wall as their made their way deeper into the cave. The path into the cave retained its large size. A few smaller halls veered off into different parts of the mountain, but Steve kept to the main path. In his gut, Steve knew Bucky was at the end of this hall.

The knights walked about fifty meters into the mountain before the passage widened to reveal a large, empty cavern. The top of the cavern was higher than the tallest tower in Midgard Castle and wider than King Fury’s fanciest ballroom. Sunlight filtered through a small hole in the ceiling, illuminating what space bronze candle light couldn’t.

Wooden chairs and tables piled high with scrolls were strewn about the cave like the dirt scattered across the stone floor. Plates of old food and glasses of lukewarm wine were balanced precariously on top of book and half-finished loose leaf notes. Glass vials and stone bowls held boiling red liquid over a blue flame.

In the center of the room was a spell circle drawn onto the stone floor with white chalk. Inside the circle was a yellow stone hovering above a grey pedestal. Three people stood around the object, staring blankly at the glowing gem. Their hair was long, greasy, and unkempt and their eyes glowed the same yellow light as the stone.

Two of the three people, a woman with red hair and a man with dark skin and even darker hair, wore clothes that were little more than rags on their unmoving bodies. The third person, a man, wore black armour like Zemo’s guards. Despite long, brown hair obstructing his face and a short beard growing along his jawline, Steve recognized the man instantly.

“Bucky,” Steve whispered, hardly believing his eyes. “Is that you?”

The man didn’t respond.

“Bucky, it’s me, Steve. Don’t you remember me?” Steve asked, slowly walking over to the spell circle.

“Steve,” warned Sam. “I really don’t think-”

Natasha placed a forceful hand on Steve’s chest, stopping Steve in his tracks. “Don’t get any closer, Cap. Could be a trap.”

“But he’s right there,” said Steve. “If I could just-”

“I don’t think so,” said Clint as he walked over to examine one of the spell books. “Natasha’s right. This is all very trap-like.”

“What do you suggest we do then?” demanded Steve.

The knights traded silent looks and then shrugged. They didn’t know what to do. They had come prepared to fight dragons, not figure out a wizards’ complicated spell circles. They didn’t know anything about magic. For all the knights knew, the circle could be a teleporter or a death trap and they wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.

Quietly, Tony walked over to the spell circle. He walked around once, examining the writing on the inside of the curve. Tony hummed to himself and then kicked some dirt over the circle, smuggling the clean lines. “Barrier spell is gone,” he said, nonchalantly. “Just keep quiet and don’t touch anything. Don’t know what other traps they’ve got hidden around here.”

That was all the permission Steve needed. “Bucky!” Steve ran over to the unmoving man and began checking him for injuries. “Are you alright?” he asked, running his fingers up and down any exposed skin he could get his hands on.

Again, Bucky didn’t answer.

Panic swelled in Steve’s chest as he checked Bucky’s neck for a pulse. It was there, but it was very faint and very slow. Steve waved a hand in front of Bucky’s face. The knight didn’t even blink. “What’s wrong with him? Why can’t he see me?” asked Steve.

“It’s like they’re under some sort of spell,” said Natasha as she examined the redheaded woman.

“Really?” gasped Tony in fake surprise. “I had no idea. What gave it away? Maybe it has something to do with all these spell books about mind control or that glowing rock in the middle of the room.”

Sam glared at Tony.

Clint closed a dusty book and wandered toward the glowing stone. His eyes were fixed on the rock and his hand was half raised, ready to touch the smooth, glowing surface. “Wonder why they left this beautiful thing out.”

“Don’t touch it!” hissed Tony, smacking Clint’s hand away from the gem. “Didn’t I just say not to touch anything?”

“I just wanted to know what it is,” wined Clint.

“What does it look like? A stone with really strong magic.”

“Really strong  _ black _ magic?” asked Clint.

“Why does everyone assume magic is black and white?” groaned Tony. “No, it’s just really strong magic. Magic doesn’t have a color, Barton, it just  _ is _ . And if you touch it, I’m pretty sure you’ll end up like them.”

Clint looked at Bucky and then back at the stone. “Now I really want to touch it.”

Sam snorted. “Don’t need to. You’re already a drooling idiot.”

Clint glared at Sam.

“So, what do we do now?” asked Natasha, ignoring the adolescent squabble.

“Bag the rock up and get these guys out as quick as we can. I want to take it back to the castle to analyse it before Stephen and I try to break the spell.”

“Why can’t we just physically break the spell here?” asked Clint. “You know, try a true love’s kiss or knock it over so it breaks.”

Tony let out a frustrated sigh and rubbed his temples. “I’m just going to pretend you didn’t say anything about ‘true love’s kiss’ and get on with it.”

“We can’t break the spell here because we have no real idea what the stone is or what it does,” explained Tony. “Does it just do mind control? What if there are other spells layered within? What if there’s a failsafe in there that will kill them? The possibilities are infinite and that’s not even taking into consideration the magical recoil breaking the spell will have.”

“Magical recoil?”

Tony nodded. “There’s always going to be some type of magical backlash when breaking a spell this strong. Given time to study the specifics, we can minimize it, but on the fly, I can’t say for sure. I know these two could take it, but him,” Tony pointed to Bucky, “he’s human. If I break the spell here, we could lose what’s left of his mind.”

“Lose his mind,” Clint said, awkwardly nodding his head up and down. “Let’s… um… let’s not do that.”

“First thing’s first, we need to get them out of here,” said Tony as he walked wide circles around the stone. “I don’t see any alarms attached to the shield spell. Hopefully no one will notice something’s wrong. until we’re gone.”

As if on cue three wizards ran into the room. “Intruders!”

Clint groaned. “You just had to go and say the magic words didn’t you.”

Steve gritted his teeth as he drew his sword. “Knights, protect Bucky and the stone at all cost.”

On cue, Clint, Natasha, and Sam all drew their swords and circled around the three hypnotized humans. “Just be thankful there’s only three wizards and no dragons,” said Sam.

One of the wizards began waving his hands. Red magic crackled under his fingers like lightning. “Enots eht tcetorp, sevals. Sretsam ruoy tcetorp!”

Steve stood in front of Bucky like a human shield. “Tony, what did he say?”

“I don’t know! I don’t speak backwards!”

At that moment, a column of fire erupted up from the ground. The knights jumped back, but not in time to save the two civilians who were consumed by the flames.

“What the fuck?” squawked Clint.

“Damn wizards,” Tony cursed. “All of you get back now!”

Suddenly, a strong hand grasped Steve’s shoulder. Steve turned around to see familiar shaped yellow eyes glaring at him. “Bucky?”

Bucky growled. He grabbed Steve with both hands and threw him into the nearest wall. Steve hit the wall and landed on the stone floor with a loud clatter.

“Cap!”

“Eyes in front!” yelled Tony over the roar of fire. He backed the knights up as the flames continued to expand. “You wanted to fight a dragon, you got yourselves two dragons.”

Air whipped like a hurricane as the twin columns of fire widened. They grew and grew until a dark shadow appeared at the center of each column. A deafening roar echoed of the stone walls. The fire swelled in the middle like and then burst open. Two dragons erupted from the flames like unholy angels of death. The grey on landed on the ground with a mighty crash. It roared, baring its sharp, white teeth and razor-sharp claws. The light red dragon flew overhead in circles like a vulture waiting for its prey to die. Sunlight reflected off the dragon’s silver accents, blinding the knights.

Both dragons glared down at the armour clad knights with golden eyes, daring their prey to make the first move.

“Damn. We’re fucked.”

“Kcata!” the wizard yelled.

The grey dragon attacked first. He opened his mouth and breathed blood red fire at the knights. Shields went up, but Steve knew they wouldn’t be enough. This was the biggest dragons the knights of Midgard had ever encountered. The fire was at least five meters wide. They wouldn’t be able to survive a full-frontal attack.

Then Tony, god damnit Tony, rushed in front of the knights like a man with a death wish. He took a breath and released a brilliant red and gold fireball that split that split the blood red flames right down the middle. Sparks fell like rain around the knights.

“Look out!” Steve screamed.

The light red dragon swooped down, mouth wide. Tony rolled out of the way just in time as the dragon’s strong jaws clamped down on nothing. Natasha got in a lucky shot, but the dragon flew back up into the rafters before Clint or Sam could land another blow.

Steve had to get back in the fight. He struggled to get his legs under him, but the black knight was on top of him within second. Bucky kicked Steve in the side, knocking the wind out of his lungs. He grabbed the back of Steve’s head and slammed him against the wall. He did it again and again until blood dripped down the side of Steve’s head.

Bucky paused for a second to catch his breath, and that’s when Steve saw his chance. He elbowed Bucky in the nose, sending the man stumbling back. As blood spurted out of Bucky’s nose, Steve regained his balance and charged at the knight. He grabbed Bucky by the waist and tackled him to the ground.

Bucky’s head whipped back and hit the floor with a loud crack. Steve was worried that he had hurt the knight, but not a second later the light was back in his eyes and Bucky was fighting for his life.

“Bucky, it’s me,” Steve said, doing everything he could to pin the man down. “Don’t you remember me? Don’t you know who I am?”

Bucky growled. He spat at Steve’s face and continued to thrash under Steve’s hold.

“Come on Bucky. It’s just a spell. You came break it, I know you can.”

Bucky didn’t respond to Steve’s pleads. He wedged a foot under Steve’s waist and kicked the knight off.

Steve stumbled back, giving Bucky enough time to get up and reorient himself.

Bucky glowered as he stomped up to Steve. He grabbed Steve’s breastplate with both hands and yanked it, knocking their heads together.

Steve groaned, holding his head. His vision blurred into a wall of white flashes as he staggered around the room. He could hear the sound of metal on metal as the knights fought for their lives, but Steve couldn’t see for shit.

A strong gust of wind from the silver dragon slammed Steve back against a wooden table. Glassware clattered about and shattered as it hit the floor. Liquid spilled, sending noxious gasses into the air.

When Steve’s vision finally cleared, the first thing he saw was Bucky holding a sharp shard of glass in his hand. Death was in his eyes as Bucky reeled back to finish the job.

Out of nowhere, a stool rose up behind Bucky and whacked him upside the head. The knight twitched. Then keeled over and collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

“You okay?” asked Tony, holding the remains of the broken stool.

Steve nodded.

“Thank goodness,” Tony said with a sigh of relief. “I’m guessing you’ve got some sort of plan as to how we’re going to get out of this mess.”

Steve looked around as the knights of Midgard split their attention between the two dragons and the tree wizards. “Not really,” he admitted.

One of the wizards shot a blast of light past them. A table filled with books exploded in a ball of fire. “Better get a plan soon,” suggested Tony as embers rained down on them. “Our numbers are even, but the greatly out power us.”

“What about magic? Can’t you use your fire magic?” asked Steve.

“Maybe, but I need to use my full capacity to make a difference and I can’t do that while you’re here.”

“Why not!”

“Cap! Look out!” yelled Natasha.

Steve turned just in time to see the grey dragon reel back and release a red stream of fire right in Steve’s direction. Steve threw his arms up over his face and steeled himself for the hit. Hot flames washed over his body, but none of the pain associated with fire came.

When the light of the flames dimmed, Steve opened his eyes and looked up. The first thing he noticed were wings. Big, red, dragon wings coming out of Tony’s back. Somehow, Tony had grown wings and created a protective barrier around both Steve and Bucky. The small nubs hidden in Tony’s hair had grown into horns and his ears had stretched out into wing like fins.

The second thing Steve noticed was the dark burns all across Tony’s skin. The entire side of Tony’s face was dark as charcoal. Red cracks that looked like veins rand up and down the seared skin. Steve could feel the blistering heat radiating off Tony’s blackened flesh. Beats of sweat collected on Tony’s brow. Steve heard a slow hissing noise as grey smoke curled up around Tony’s burnt, leather wings.

Despite how bad he looked, Tony offered Steve a friendly smile. “Surprise.”

Steve was speechless. He felt panic swell up in his chest. Tony had protected him at the cost of his own life. Tony had taken a direct hit from a blast of fire and lived. Tony was a dragon! How was this possible? How was it possible that Steve had known Tony for a whole year and never suspected he was a dragon?

“You okay Steve? You promised you wouldn’t get mad,” Tony’s voice cracked.

“Me? What about you?” asked Steve. “You’re burning. You’re a fucking dragon!”

“I’ll be fine,” Tony lied through his teeth. “I’ve been through worse.”

Steve was afraid to ask what  _ worse _ looked like.

Tony staggered back, turning his attention to the dragons attacking Steve’s friends. “New plan, break the stone. It’s the only chance we’ve got.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll hold them off as long as I can.”

As Tony staggered back, embers began to fly as magic swirled in the air. Gold flames engulfed Tony in a warm blaze of fire. A column formed around him just like the other two dragons. It tripled in size and then burst open revealing a mesmerizing red and gold dragon.

Steve couldn’t believe his eyes as the dragon lifted itself into the air. This beautiful creature was Tony? How was that possible?

Out of the corner of his eye, Steve saw the small silver dragon swoop down to attack Tony. She screeched as he dived out of the air and went straight for Tony’s throat. But Tony was fast. He moved out of the way a second before and knocked her down with a sharp flick of his head.

The silver dragon screamed as she limped back, giving Tony the opening he needed. He beat his burnt wings as hard as he could and flew head first into the silver dragon. Tony slammed her into the ceiling causing shards of rock to rain down onto the humans below.

The grey dragon roared as he saw his friend fall out of the air. He slowly lifted himself up and caught the silver dragon in his mouth. He gave Tony a threatening roar and Tony growled right back.

“What the- I didn’t know Tony was a dragon,” Clint said looking up at the battle in the sky.

“Would explain why he’s so defensive about us killing them,” said Sam.

“Focus you idiots,” Natasha yelled as she dodged another blast of light. “Steve?”

“Questions later,” said Steve. “Take care of the wizards. I’ll get the stone.”

“Yes sir!”

“Yortsed meht uoy stoidi! Yortsed meht!” one of the wizards yelled.

“Not today!” said Clint as he fired a smoke bomb at the wizard’s feet.

With the enemy successfully distracted, Steve scanned the room for the stone. It took him a few seconds, but he spotted hidden under some rubble. Steve made a mad dash for the rock, but someone beat him to it.

“Bucky, drop the stone,” Steve said, as the black knight pulled the rock out of the rubble.

Bucky glared at Steve as he weighted the rock in his hand. He glanced down and noticed the stone pedestal lying on the ground. As Bucky turned to return the stone to its rightful place, Steve picked up a fallen stalactite and threw it at Buck. It missed by a mile, but it gave Steve the opening he needed to tackle Bucky to the ground.

Bucky screamed as he clutched onto the stone with both hands. Seeing his chance, Steve took Bucky’s hands in his, and slammed the glowing rock into the ground.

The stone shattered on impact, sending shards flying into the air. A strong pulse of gold energy ripped through the cave like thunder. Above Steve’s head, the grey and silver dragons suddenly stopped in their tracks. The gold light disappeared from their eyes and magic swirled around them as they returned to human form. They started falling, but Tony quickly swept them up before they hit the ground.

Then Bucky started crying out in agony. He let go of the remains of the stone and started clawing at his face as if his brain was on fire.

“Bucky? Bucky! What’s wrong?”

Wait. The magic recoil. Steve had almost forgotten about it. The other two were dragons. Bucky was human. Tony had warned him that this could happen, but they didn’t have any other choice.

Tony landed with a quiet thump. The two dragons, now in human form, slipped of his back without so much of a whimper. Steve ran over to Tony’s side and tugged on one of his scales. Tony slowly turned his head to face Steve.

“Please, help him,” Steve begged.

Tony’s eyes narrowed. He looked over Steve’s shoulder and watched as the knight trashed around like a fish without water.

There was a low growl in his throat, but Tony let out a huff of smoke and nodded.

Steve didn’t have time for the relief to set in. He ran over to Bucky’s side, picked him up, and carefully carried him to back to the dragon. As Steve laid Bucky across Tony’s back, he noticed inflamed bubbles all along the dragon’s flank. Had the burns from Tony’s human form transfer over to his dragon form? Could dragons get burned?

Tony let out a low grumble and nudged Steve up his back. Apparently, he wanted Steve to come too.

Without questioning Tony’s intentions, Steve hopped up on the dragon’s back, making sure both he and Bucky were secure.

“Take care of these guys. We’ll meet you guys back at the castle,” Steve yelled.

“You got it Cap!” Sam said with a salute.

Tony let out a terrifying roar, knocking the wizards back a few steps. He flapped his wings once, twice, and then shot out of the cave like an arrow.

They passed through cloud after cloud until Steve’s shirt was damp from all the moisture. They zipped past trees and hills so quickly, Steve could only make out a green blur below him. Steve eventually had to close his eyes and buried his head in Tony’s neck because they were going so fast.

Was this his life now? Was this what he signed up for when he said he wanted to court Tony?

They landed in a familiar courtyard only a few moments later. But to Steve, it felt like a lifetime. People in the castle were screaming in panic as Tony flew down from the sky.

“Dragon! Dragon! Somebody get the knights!” they screamed.

“Doctor Strange! Doctor Banner! I need you!” Steve called over the useless din.

Both Stephen and Bruce were there within seconds. “What’s wrong?” asked Stephen, bag of medical supplies already at the ready.

“It’s Bucky.” said Steve as he slid off Tony’s back. “We had to break a really strong mind control spell and he’s not reacting well to it”

“Out of the way. Let me see,” said Stephen as he pushed his way through the panicking civilians. 

“Dear god, what have you gotten yourself into now Tony?” asked Bruce as Tony folded in his wings.

“Wait, you knew! And you never told me!”

“Of course we did, Steve. We’re magic users. It wasn’t hard to figure out,” said Stephen as he checked Bucky’s vitals.

“Rest now,” said Bruce as he rubbed Tony’s side. “You’re safe now. We’ll take it from here.”

Tony let out a dragon size sigh of relief. He closed his eyes as, once again, golden fire encases his body returning him to his normal, human size. Steve snuck a peak and notice that the burns on Tony’s body had gotten darker and more inflamed since he last saw them.

“Is he going to be okay?” asked Steve.

Bruce nodded. “It’s bad, but give him some time and I think it will be.”

“Captain Rogers!” King Fury’s voice echoed through the entire caste. “What the hell is going on?”

“Go! Get them inside, now,” said Steve. “I’ll deal with Fury.”

 

* * *

 

Tony woke in a bed as soft as clouds. He was laying down on his stomach, face smashed into a pillow. The burns on Tony’s back hurt so much, but the soft, familiar smell of home felt so good.

Tony grunted as he tried to move his still exposed wings. They were badly burned, but someone had been nice enough put a healing salve along the exposed flesh. They were almost healed thanks to Tony’s dragon magic, but it was nice to know someone cared enough for him to treat his wounds.

Then, Tony heard voices and immediately stopped moving.

“You don’t get it, Bucky. He’s a dragon.”

“Who the fuck cares, Steve. Sounds to me like the only one you’re trying to convince  _ no _ to go through with this is yourself.”

“But-”

“No buts. I know I’ve missed a year, but you’ve always done what you thought was right, damn the consequences. Why is this any different?”

“It just  _ is _ , okay? That was jumping off cliffs and sneaking out to rescue friends. This is Tony we’re talking about. He’s different.  _ We’re _ different. You can’t go around comparing the two.”

So, this was it. After everything that happened, Tony was finally being shown the door.

“Well, you better figure out if you want happiness or not soon. He’s waking up.”

Shit, shit, shit. Tony squeezed his eyes shut and pretended to be asleep.

To Tony’s surprise, a gentle hand caressed his head. “I know you’re awake,” Steve said as his thumb stroked Tony’s horns.

“No, you don’t. My eyes are still closed,” Tony muttered into his pillow.

Steve let out a tired huff as he reached over and squeezed Tony’s hand.

Tony opened his eyes to see Steve standing close to the head of his bed with a very tired Bucky standing close behind him. “You up for a walk?” asked Steve.

Tony mulled it over in his head. He could fake his way out of it, but why prolong the agony. Might as well enjoy Steve’s company while he still could.

“Sure,” he said, gingerly pushing himself out of bed.

-o-

Steve, being the gentleman that he was, led the way straight to the gardens. He took them to the furthest corner where the trees ran thick and the flowers stayed low to the ground.

‘How poetic,’ Tony thought. ‘It all started here, it was fitting that it ends here too.’

“As soon as my wings work, I’ll leave,” Tony said, breaking the awkward silence. “Everyone knows I’m a dragon. It’s not safe here anymore. They’re going to come at me with torches and pitchforks, which aren’t dangerous to a dragon, but they’re down right annoying. They’ll come after you too. Then a mob is going to form and they’re going to ask for my head.”

“There’s not going to be any mob and no one is going to ask for your head,” said Steve.

“Oh? And how do you know?” asked Tony. Even though he knew Steve was breaking up with him, why did he have to be so damn flirty?

“Because I talked to them and remind them about all the good things you’ve done for Midgard,” said Steve. “A lot of people are slow to come around, but some people understand. All the knights are on your side after all you’ve done for us. Clint even wanted to apologize for everything as soon as you woke up.

“And despite the wings and that tail, you’re still you. You’re still the most kind and caring person that I know. Who you are on the outside doesn’t change the person, or I guess I should say dragon, you are on the inside.”

Tony stared at Steve, gobsmacked. “You’re not joking. Are you sure you’re not disgusted by what I am?”

“I mean, there are some things I’m going to have to get used to,” Steve said, his cheeks turning a light pink. “Wings, tail, horns, magic. But no, I’m not joking. Bucky had to help me work it through, but after all is said and done, I still want to be with you.”

Tony closed his eyes and leaned his head on Steve’s chest. He listened to the steady beat of Steve’s heart and let out a satisfied sigh. “You’re going to regret this one day, Rogers.”

“No,” said Steve as he looked down at Tony with only love in his eyes. “No, I don’t think I will.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I know the end was rush and I'm sorry. I ran out of time.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Art for 'All the Reasons We Shouldn't Work' by MiniRaven](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11211354) by [Sealcat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sealcat/pseuds/Sealcat)




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